Must-Try: Wedding Band Workshops in Toronto and Arduino Lessons in Montreal

Our picks for can't-miss activities this February in Canada's biggest cities.

Feb 04, 2016
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Interview by Andrea Yu & Brendan Adams

Toronto: Put a Ring on It

What The Wedding Band WorkshopWhere The Devil’s WorkshopWhen Sundays, 12–6 p.m.Cost $320 per couple, plus materials

Photo: Jordan Wan

For a DIY take on your upcoming nuptials, head over to the Devil’s Workshop on Queen Street West, at the edge of Trinity Bellwoods Park. In the warm, intimate studio space behind the jewellery shop storefront, owner and instructor Sarah Wan offers a popular, weekly Wedding Band Workshop. After an initial consultation to select the ring designs and materials, Wan and co-instructor Melissa Dalton guide a maximum of three couples per session through measuring, cutting, forming, ­soldering, sanding and polishing shaped bars of the chosen metal – silver or white, rose or yellow gold – into gleaming, one-of-a-kind wedding bands. No experience is necessary, but commitment, aptly enough, is. The labour is a lengthy one as you sand and buff out imperfections to Wan’s exacting standards. Afterward, take your bands home as is or, if you wish, leave them with Wan for engraving, rhodium plating or stone-setting.890 Queen St. W., thedevilsworkshop.ca

Montreal: Bright Lights

For an introduction to physical computing, book a private Arduino class at Helios Makerspace. At the future-forward workshop tucked inside an industrial building, you’ll take a seat amidst an inspiring var­­iety of tech-making gadgets, from 3-D printers and laser cutters to pow­er tools. There, your know­ledgeable instructor begins by explaining exactly what an Arduino is – essentially, a self-contained computer – and how it runs user- generated programs, called sketches. After a reboot in the core concepts of electricity, plug in mod­ified LEDs and make the multicoloured lights blink, flicker and fade at your command. You’ll leave with a novice understanding of C++ programming, having learned enough to continue on your own. With readily available parts and open-source software, the projects – from festive arrays to etch-­a-sketch alarm clocks – are endless.137, rue Saint-Ferdinand, bur. 270, heliosmakerspace.ca